Addressing machine and other similar printing machines



A. ELEY March 7, 1933.

ADDRESSING MACHINE AND OTHER SIMILAR PRINTING MACHINES Filed 001:. 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 7, 1933.

A. EL EY ADDRESSING MACHINE AND OTHER SIMILAR PRINTING MACHINES Filed .Oct, 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Anonzo ELEY, or Harmon,-

I hand side of a printing machine embodying being performedu Patented Mar. 7, 1933 ENGLAND,

assrsnon to ADDRESSOGR-AFE column, or

cnIcAe 'rLLmoIsn oonronn rron or DELAWARE nnnnnssme ivmonmn AND ornnn SIMILAR- rnm'rme MAcHInns" Ap'plication filed Oet'ober 23, 1929, Serial No. 401,635,

This invention relates, to addressing ma-t chines and other similar printing machines of the kind in which printing devices are consecutively, fed to the printing position, Where cards, labels, tickets, envelopes, or other articles to be printed (hereinafter briefly termed-hoards) are successlvelyi positioned on which an impression 1s made from the printingdevices by a platen. The chief object of the invention is to ink the printing devices in a novel manner, and another object isto discharge the card after printing at the time the inking operation is ,According to the invention an ink container. is arranged'to supply ink to a roller by which the ink is distributed over the printing device,;the said container and roller being mounted on a reciprocable carriage and the operative stroke of the carriage being efiected by mechanism actuated either .by connections with the printing device feeding mechanism or by connections with the platen. The front ofthe carriage may beprovided with a flange which at-thebeginningof the the previous. ly printed card to expel it fromthe machine;

In order that .the said invention may be and readily carried into advance of the carriage engages clearly understood effect, the same willnow be described more fully wi h reference to the accompanying drawings, in which 1+- I Figure 1 representsvin'elevation' the "left an exemplification of this invention and is a View taken substantially on line 11 on Figure 2.

Figure 2 1s a plan of the said machine from: which the platen armis omittedfor the sake of clearness. I

Figure 3 is a detail illustratingin elevatiOIl the carriage operating mechanism detached..- 4

- carried on a slldlngframe comprising side Figurefi is aview taken substantially on v the line 6 6 on Figure 2.

' In the drawings,-1l" indicates the. frame ant, who stands at is a front elevation of and in Great Britain February 18, .1929.

of the machine, in which the is pivoted at 13., This arm carries a platen 14, andincludes a tailpiece 15. Theattendthat is, at the right hand side, as viewed in Figure 2, lays a card on the printing device 16, and then rocks the platen arm to bring down the platen 14 on th'efcard, which is thus pressed against the printing device with sufficient force to transfer an impression therefrom onto the underside ofthe card. vv The platen .is then returned to its position'of rest,

the front of the machine,

platen arm 12 v that is, the positionin which it is represented I in Figural, by the pullof; the spring 17.

The printing devices are 'fed forward to the printing position from astack of such printing device's arranged at the rear of the machine, by well by the depression of a handle 18, which mechanism always takes the lowest device from the stack, advances it one step at each depression of he said handle, andafter an impression has been made therefrom, in ordinary consecutive printing, the said mechanism discharges the leading deviceover the guides 19 at the front of the machine,-where a hopper may beprovided to receive the de vices thus discharged. The handle 18 turns on a' stud 20 in thelframe 11, and on its. boss 21 is formed a'crank 22 linked to a crank 23 fastenedon a rotatable shaft 24, mounted the machine frame,

in bearings 25, 26 on This crank 23 actuates feeding mechanism. When released, a spring27 frame and connected with the crank 23 causes the return of the said handle,andassociated parts to the normal position, represented in Figure1." I

Guides 30, 31 are secured transversely [of the machine, betweenwhich'a carriage 32. is adapted to reciprocate, this carriage being the printing device members 33, 34C and a crossbar35, The side members run underneath ribs on theopposite 31as seen in Figure known mechanism actuated anchored to the machine the handle 18 is ink in the container, the roller 39 being the printing device inking roller, and the intermediate roller 38 receiving ink from the roller 3? and spreading it on the roller 39. The roller 37 may be made of metal, and the rollers 38 and 39 covered with a gelatine composition. The last named roller is carried on trunnions or gudgeon pins 40 the height of which relativelyto the container 36 can be adjusted by means of screws 41 (see Figure 5). The intermediate or is impelled by a spring 42 at one en d thereof to move in an axial direction, and the other end of" this roller is provided with a face cam 43 (Figure 2) engaging an abutment 44 at the side of the carriage, so that this roller in its rotation is caused to move laterally in relation to the ink feed roller 3'? and the printing device inking roller 40in order to ensure an even distribution 01'" the ink over thelatter roller. v V

In suchmachines, it is obvious that several cards can be printed from one plate by repeatedly operating the stamper without operating the printing device feed, and conversely any device or devices of the series from which it is not desired to take an im pression can be skipped by operating the printing device feed without operating the stamper. In thefirst case, just as in ordinary consecutive printing, the discharge of the previously printed card and the re-inking ofthe printing device must precede the placing v of another card in the printing position, so

that operation by the platen is essential. In the second case, after one or more printing devices have been skipped, the inking of the next device from which a card is to be printed must be effected beforethe platen is again operated, so that the printing device feed must also be enabled to effect the reciprocation' of the carriage, even though a slight waste of printing ink is thereby involved in reciprocating the inking roller across the skipped printing device.

In order to enable the carriage to be controlled by either the platen or the printing device feed lever, we arrange the operative connections with these mechanisms in the form of bars having notches or projections adapted to be disengaged during the latter part of the return stroke of each of the said mechanisms, so that in the position of rest of the platen and in the position of rest of the printing device feed I lever, the carriage is free, and is held out Y A- three armed lever pivoted on the machine 7 notched bar or frame at 49 has one arm 50 linked to' a pawl 51, and at the beginnmg of the upward. or return stroke of the printing device feed lever 18 a pin 52 on a crank arm 53 on an extension 54 of the ordinary rotary shaft 24 of the printing device feed mechanism registering in the notch 48 in the bar 51 pressesbacl: this bar 51 and spreader roller 38 of action by a spring.

rocks the three armed lever until a Wedge 55 on the underside of the bar rides up on apin 56 and disengages the bar 51 from the crank 53. Another arm 57 of this three armedlever is linked to a bent bar or long pawl 58 which has a catch 59 adapted to engage a roller 60 on the tailpiece 15 of the platen arm 12 in the return stroke of the platen under the pull of the spring 17, whereby the bar 58 is pushed forward to rock the three armed lever in the same direction as that in which the shorter bar or pawl 51 rocks itas aforesaid, and as this movement of the bar 53 proceeds, a fixed pin 61 lifts the barl58'to disengage it from the roller 60. In the operative stroke of the platen, the roller 60 passes idly under the catch 59. The third arm 62 of the three armed lever, which is located intermediately of the two arms 50 and 57,'just mentioned, is slotted at 63 and connected as seen in Fig ure 2 with the crossbar 35 at the rear of the ink container carriage 32, and on this lever being actuated by either the platen or the device feed mechanism, the carriage is caused by the arm 62 to trzwel in the guides 30, 31 so that its inking roller 39 runs over the printing device 16 in a direction at right angles to that of the feed of the printing devices, and if the flange 64 at the front of the carriage encounters a card overlying the printing device, that is, the card last previously printed, the said card is thereby eX- pelled at the right hand side of the machine before the inking roller 39 reaches the newly positioned device. When the three armed lever is set free by the disengagement of the pin 52, or of the roller 60, in the manner" already described, a spring 65 attached to the crossbar 35 of the carriage and adapted to be coiled in a drum66 carried on a bracket 67 projecting from the left hand side of the machine, which spring65' was extended by the advance of the carriage, re-coils and draws back the carriage, the inking roller 39 then passing again over the printing device in contact with the type thereon. The

action of the spring 65 effects the return stroke of the carriage in this way, whether theforward. stroke of the carriage has been effected by the platen or by theprinting device feed mechanism. In either case the release of the baror pawl which effects the forward stroke of the carriage takes place when the platen, or the printing device feed lever, as the case may be, has accomplished about half of its return strokej The pawl or notched bar 51 is impelled into its'working position by a spring 68. The ink fee d roller may be provided with a pinion meshin g with a rack on the framework of the machine in order that the rotation of the said roller Ifo I ia

shall be ensured during both the outward for supplying ink from said container to a printing device, and means associated with said container for discharging a previously printed article from the printing position.

2. In a printing machine having a printing device therein, a reciprocable carriage, inking means on said carriage, and means I on said carriage for expelling a previously printed article from said machine upon operation of said carriage.

3. In a printing machine having a printing device feed therein, means operating said printing device feed to position a, printing device at printingposition, a carriage, an

ink container on said carriage, a printing de-' vice inking roller mounted on said container er, and means operable from the printing device feed to reciprocate the carriage over the printing device to apply ink thereto.

4. In a printing machine havinga print ing device feed therein, a platen, operating means for said printing device feed to 0per ate said feed to position a printing device at printing position, a carriage, an ink container on said carriage, a printing'device inking roller mounted on said container and depending below said carriage, means con-' nected to the platen and to said operating means to effect movement of the carriage and the inking roller over the printing device in the machine inone direction upon operation of the platen or the operating means and means for moving said carriage in the other direction. p

5. In a printing machine, a printing device feed including an operating handle, a carriage, an ink container mounted on said carriage, a printing device inking roller mounted on said container, means for feeding ink from said container to said roller, means connecting the carriage and the plate feed whereby the carriage may be moved in one direction over a printing device during return stroke of the plate feed-handle, and

means for moving said carriage in the other direction. 7

6. In a printing machine, a platen, a" carriage, inking means on said carriage, a printing device feed including an operating handle, means connecting the platen and said carriage to move said carriage over a printing device, means for disengaging said con necting means after said movement has been effected, means connecting said operating handle and said carriage to also move said carriage over said printing device, means for disengaging the last-named connecting means after said movement has been effected, and means for withdrawing said carriage after either of said connections have been disengaged. r

riage,

7. In a printing machine,a platen, a printing device feed including an operating handle, a carriage, inking means on. said carriage movable over a printing device carried by said feed, a three-armed lever, means connecting one-end of saidarm to the carriage,

means connecting theother armsof said letothe platen and the printver, respectively,

whereby when either said ing device feed platen or saidprinting device feed are operated sa1d carriage Wlll be moved n one dlIQCtlOIl, means for d sengaging the connections betweenthe lever and the. platen I,

and the printing device feed, and means for.

moving the carriage in the' other directionaftersaiddisengaging means'is operatedf I 8. In a printing machine having a pr nting device therein,'a pivotedplaten arm having a tail piece, a roller on said tail piece,.a care inking means on said carriage, a bar having'operative connection with the carriage',a catch on said bar engageable by saidroller on the return stroke of said armto ef-v fect movement of-said bar to. movesaid carriage in one direction, a pin located in the path of movement of said bar to be engageable by said 'bar'to liftitout of engagement with said roller, and means for returning: said carriage and said bar toward normal p05 sitions when said bar is disengaged from said roll r; 1

9. In a printing machine, a printing device feed including an operating handle, a rotatable shaft, means connecting said handle and said shafttocau'se angular movement of-the shaft when said lever-is depressed, means for automatically reversing the movement ofsaidshaft, a crank on said shaft, a carriage, inkingmeans on said carriage, a notched bar connected withthe carriage for imparting movement thereto in one direction, said bar including anin clined surface, a pin on-the cra-nknormally registering in the notch in. said bar to effect operative movement of the bar upon reversal of the angular movement of the shaft,a fixed pinengageable by said inclined surface duringthe movement of said bar to thereby lift it out of engagement with the. crank pin, and means for moving. the inking carriage in the other directionwhn said-bar is lifted by engagement with said fixed pin. I

10. In a printing machine, transverse guides ncluding ribs, a carriage comprising.

side members adapted to travel under said ribs, a cross bar connecting sa1d side member's, a lever having slotted connectionwith said cross bar and movable with operable parts of the machine to move the carriage in one direction upon the return stroke of either of 'saidoperable parts, a spring for moving v the carriage in the other direction during the latter part of said return'stroke, and inking means on said carriage movable over a printing device in'said machine. v

11; In at printingv machine, transverse guides including ribs, a carriage comprising sidemembers adapted to travel under said ribs, a cross bar connecting said side members, alever having slotted connection with said cross bar and movable With operable partsof the machine to move the carriage in one direction upon the return stroke of either of said operable parts, a spring for moving thecarriage inthe other direction during the latter. part of said return stroke, an ink container on said carriage,'a plate inking roller mounted on said carriage, means for feeding ink from said container to said roller Whereby: the movement ofsaid carriage will dis-- printing device 1n said ma tribute ink over a chine;

v 12. In a printing machine, means for feeding printing devices to printing position in the machine, said means including a depressible operating handlereturnable automatically to at rest position Wh en released, a m anually operable platen, means automatically returning said platen to its position of rest when released, the combination of a carriage,

an ink container mounted on said carriage, a printing device inking roller mounted on said container, means for feeding inkfrom said container to said roller, a lever for moving said carriage transversely of the direction of movement of the printing devices to thereby ink the same, a spring for moving said carriage in the other direction, actuatmg means for said lever operable during the return stroke of said handle and automatically disengageable before the completion of said ret-urn'stroke, and alternately actuated means forsaid lever operable on the return stroke of the platen and automatically disengageable before the completion of said return stroke to permit the spring to move the carriage.

ALONZO ELEY. 

